Prediction of Breakup Length of Laminar Liquid Jets in Electric Fields

Abstract

Equations predicting breakup length were proposed for laminar liquid jets in electric fields formea by such configulations as an electrified flat electrode arranged in parallel above an earthed flat electrode, an electrified liquid jet in the center of an earthed cylindrical electrode, and an electrified nozzle arranged vertically above an earthed flat electrode. It was found from observation of the jet breakup that the jet radius. Since the mechanisms of jet breakup in electric fields are the same as those in the gravitational field, the model for jet breakup in the gravitational field was applied to that in the electric fields. The growth rate of the wave, the initial amplitude of the wave and the interfacial velocity are necessary for predicting the breakup length of the jets. The equations for the growth rate of the predicting the breakup length of the jets. The equations for the growth rate of the wave were given in the previous papers, and the terms on the initial amplitude of the wave and the interfacial velocity were empirically correlated by the ratio of the electric pressure to the interfacial pressure. Experiments were performed for several systems, that is, water-air and xylene-air for liquid-gas systems and water-hexane, water-cyclohexane and water-silicone oil for liquid-liquid systems. Good agreement (±20%) was obtained between the measured breakup lengths of jets and the calculatedones.